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Sat, Jul 30, 2005 9:15 PM
When it comes to Katie and developmental milestones, an old saying seems to ring true: When it rains, it pours!

That's a roundabout way of saying that she took her first steps tonight. She didn't go very far--just from her dad on the couch to me on the ottoman and back--but she repeated her feat five times.

And the last time, she stopped midway, held her balance, and then continued on.

At this rate, we figure a tooth'll sprout tomorrow, making it three for three! ;-)

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Fri, Jul 29, 2005 10:00 PM
Katie pulled a "fast one" on me today.

Just after 5, I was wrapping a package in the kitchen while Katie was playing in the dining room. I guess I got more involved in the package than I thought. When I looked up to check on her, I couldn't see her through the doorway.

Because I could hear her "talking," I knew she was fine. Even so, I wanted to get a quick visual of her. So I went into the living room. No Katie. Then I checked the study. No Katie. Then I peeked into the powder room. No Katie.

I was still wearing my phone headset from a late-afternoon call with a client. So I was having more trouble than usual discerning the origin of the sound.

But I could most definitely hear Katie babbling--expounding her strong views on some topic known only to her.

It suddenly dawned on me that she sounded, well, higher than I was. And sure enough, at that moment, I looked up to see her little hiney zooming across the second-floor hallway and into Danielle's room!

She was just jabbering away, as if climbing up the front steps all by herself--and at what must have been a rapid speed--was just par for her course.

My mom asked if I felt panic or fear at the thought of what might have happened. But that wasn't how I felt at all. It was actually surreal, seeing that she could do this by herself. I was very impressed, too! I hope she'll do a repeat performance soon, so I can actually SEE her in action.

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Thu, Jul 28, 2005 5:30 PM
Today was Katie's 12-month checkup. As usual, the pediatrician said she's a "model of health." (I guess we aren't doing TOO badly. :-)

Her current length and weight are 29 inches and 21 pounds, 14 ounces, respectively. She continues to be right in the middle of the growth chart for both measurements. And, not surprisingly, her head is still big--18.5 inches, which puts her in the 95th percentile!

Even after she turned one, I wasn't sure if it would be OK to switch entirely to whole milk--mainly because she doesn't eat any meat at this point. However, the doctor assured me that she can move completely off the formula--even if she doesn't consume meat. In fact, he said having a vegetarian diet is perfectly healthy, so long as we continue giving her plenty of protein.

Also, the doctor advised me to get her off the bottle as soon as we can--but absolutely no later than 18 months. We've been slowly weaning her, but I think we need to step that up a bit. She gave up the pacifier on her own, and weaning off the breast was easy, too. But I'm a bit trepidacious about the bottle; she LOVES her "ba"!

And, lastly, she got two vaccinations this time--one in each arm. She didn't flinch, much less cry, for her chicken pox shot. She cried briefly for the other one (which was the final in a series of boosters for who-knows-what). She was completely fine by the time we were setting up her next appointment: the 15-month checkup.

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Tue, Jul 26, 2005 7:30 AM
Just a minor update...

Katie was in much better spirits yesterday (Danielle seems to have that effect on her!). She did get up again early this morning--4:30, to be exact. I had accidentally left the monitor on (downstairs in the kitchen), and we awoke to a cute but loud and slightly grating voice saying, "Hi, I'm Baby Tad. THAT's the ORANGE DIAMOND."

Before we knew it, the Baby Tad lullabies started playing and continued for what seemed an eternity. I didn't hear them again until 6:30, and I assumed Katie had been playing with the toy for the better part of two hours. (Steve assured me she'd gone back to sleep and had just started playing in her crib again!)

At any rate, annoying computerized sounds beat the heck out of blood-curdling screams. 'Course, I'd rather have SILENCE at 4:30 in the morning... ;-)

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Mon, Jul 25, 2005 12:00 PM
We've hit a bit of a bumpy patch in the last few days. I'm losing track, but I think it's been three nights in a row that Katie has gotten up--screaming. Once it was 4 a.m., once it was midnight, and this morning it was 5:30. And I'm not talking about a little whimpering in the crib; this morning's outburst sounded like a murder in progress.

This weekend, taking Katie in public turned out to be just shy of disastrous. At the grocery yesterday, she started screaming out of nowhere--for no apparent reason. And she is no longer content to cruise around in a cart or her stroller. She wants to be down on the ground in the thick of things.

I suspect that it's teething or general frustration or both. She clearly WANTS to be walking by herself, but she can't quite do it. And, to make matters worse, she can't tell us exactly what's bothering her at any given time.

So she screams.

Whatever the cause, I hope we can find a resolution soon. It's getting old--and fast!

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Thu, Jul 21, 2005 5:30 PM
Katie has started using her bottle as a paintbrush. When she's had enough to drink, she'll turn it upside down, press the nipple against a surface, and dab the milk as if it were paint. The trouble is, her ideas of a "canvas" include the carpet, sofa, area rugs, and pretty much anything within arm's reach! (I wonder if a lot of babies do this? Either way, this is probably yet another clue that she's ready to get rid of the bottle and switch totally to cups!)

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Tue, Jul 19, 2005 7:30 AM
Danielle took over babysitting duties yesterday (she'll be watching Katie on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays until she moves into her new place at Arcadia University).

The day was textbook smooth; Katie took two two-hour naps, ate well, and didn't fuss at all. Danielle said Katie was very interested in EVERYTHING she was doing and followed her as she moved from room to room. Katie even "helped" Danielle do her laundry: Every time Danielle would move an item of wet clothing from the washer to the dryer, Katie would take it out of the dryer and fling it on the floor!

Today might be a bit more of challenge, however. Steve and I think Katie is (finally?!?!?!) teething. Last night she was up at 11 and again at 4. And this morning she has a very runny nose, but no other signs of illness. I'm hoping she'll still nap and eat according to schedule. We shall see...

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Sun, Jul 17, 2005 9:00 PM
Yesterday was Katie's first birthday party. It was a family celebration that included the traditional activities: opening gifts, singing "Happy Birthday," and, of course, letting Katie go hog wild with her very own cake. (Wow, what a mess she made!)

Despite Steve's run-in with a wasp's nest and some heavy rain showers, the party was a success! Katie enjoyed seeing everyone, and she had a ball playing with Kaylah and interacting with Baby Derek. (There are plenty of photos posted in a separate album. Check out the adorable "Elmo" outfit she wore. It was from Greatma and Greatpa!)

With all the excitement of the party, Katie basically missed her afternoon nap. Needless to say, she was in bed extra early last night. And, she was up very early this morning--spending just a little bit more quality time with Gran and Grandpa before they headed home to Louisville. Katie misses you, Gran and Grandpa... We had a wonderful visit! :-)

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Fri, Jul 15, 2005 7:00 AM
Happy First Birthday, Katherine Elizabeth Fanelli (even though, technically, you won't be one until 5:49 p.m.)!

It's such a cliché, but it really does feel as though Katie were just born. And yet, I can look at her and see how dramatically she's changed. I mean, she used to be this calm, agreeable, quiet little infant. And now she's a screaming banshee!

Oh wait, did I just type that? ;-)

All teasing aside, it's amazing to watch as her personality emerges. I'm sure it will continue to evolve, but a few things seem pretty clear already. She is definitely her OWN person with her OWN mind; this is no shrinking violet, people! (Oh, heaven help us...)

For one thing, she has a memory like a steel trap. As Gran says, if you don't want to keep doing something, don't let Katie see you do it EVEN ONCE!

And when she doesn't get what she wants--in the manner she wants it--she exhibits quite a temper. She does these primal, guttural shouts and her face turns red and shakes! (Let's just pause for a moment and reflect on her last name... Hee hee...)

Of course, Katie also has moments of incredible sweetness. She gives some of the world's greatest hugs (unsolicited, I might add). And she delivers them not only to us, but also to numerous stuffed animals throughout our house.

And, finally--thankfully--she has a terrific sense of humor, which no doubt has been honed by all the comedic interactions with her father since, well, just about Day One!

It's been 365 great days, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I (we!) love you, Katie Fanelli...

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Wed, Jul 13, 2005 7:30 AM
The past few days, Katie has become an eating machine. We can only guess that she's on the cusp of a growth spurt. Last night for dinner, she put away an entire piece of string cheese, half a banana, and a few pieces of yam (which I accidentally overcooked--bleck!). And, this morning, she polished off a bunch of scrambled egg, some cherries, AND some Cheerios. Oink oink oink!

We've mailed in Katie's registration and deposit for Elbow Lane. She'll be starting the day after Labor Day and going three days per week (Monday through Wednesday). As part of the "Tiny Tots" room, she has to use a sippy cup (no bottle), be able to feed herself, and take just one long afternoon nap.

This week, Gran is working on weaning her off the bottle--at least during the day. All day yesterday, Katie drank from cups and Gran said she did fine with it. Also, even though I haven't gotten the "official" go-ahead from the pediatrician, we're alternating between formula and organic whole milk. She seems to like the milk just fine--especially if she gets to drink it through a "big girl" straw.

And, tonight--since she's "thisclose" to one year old--we're going to turn her car seats so she can face forward. She is going to LOVE that!

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Sat, Jul 9, 2005 2:20 PM
Steve and I had a great--and VERY relaxing--trip to Grand Cayman. When we returned home, we were glad to see Katie and she seemed happy to see us. We missed her a lot while we were away; I'm not sure how much she missed us, though. She had it made in the shade the whole week!

This morning Steve, Danielle, Katie, and I went to Celebrity Kids for family portraits. Should you ever find yourself with extra energy to burn, take an almost-12-month-old for a photo session. You'll be exhausted and dying for a nap in no time!

In all seriousness, we got some terrific pictures. We chose three poses of Katie by herself, one of the two sisters, and two shots with all four of us. The prints will be ready later this week. I can't wait to see them! :-)

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Fri, Jul 1, 2005 10:00 PM
In the last 24 hours, Katie has made great strides with her motor skills (pun intended!). Gran has been working with her during the day, and tonight we all witnessed the results. Using a variety of toys (her walker, her shopping cart, her mini-baby stroller), Katie can now pull herself up and walk across the room. In fact, you get the distinct impression that she'd rather be running; the kid moves fast! (I've posted a video clip so you can see for yourselves.)

She's also becoming quite a climber. She made it up to the first of two landings on our front staircase. She also scales her "Watch me grow" chair so she can peek into her crib from the outside.

Who knows what she'll be doing by the time Steve and I return next Thursday! May the Force be with you, Gran and Grandpa...

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